Carma Wins Global Innovation Toll Excellence Award
Company's car occupancy verification technology eliminates the need for roadside patrol and is awarded Private Sector Innovation by the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA)
DALLAS, Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Carma Technology Corporation announced today that the company has won a Toll Excellence Award for innovation from the worldwide tolling industry The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA). Carma's automatic vehicle occupancy verification technology, recently installed to monitor high-occupancy-vehicle lane users on TEXpress roadways in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, has become an industry-leading implementation, now recognized by IBTTA in the Private Sector Innovation category of the Toll Excellence Awards.
"Carma's groundbreaking technology makes it easier for toll operators to keep track of HOV drivers and reward them for doing their part for the environment. In Dallas-Fort Worth, where Carma has successfully deployed its technology already, HOV drivers are now reliably identified and tolled at half the rate of other drivers," said Mark Compton, CEO of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and IBTTA president. "Automating the process of verifying occupancy on these roadways also eliminates the need for roadside enforcement, which makes the road safer and less congested. All in all, this is an innovative solution that we're sure will catch on among tolling operators across the country."
Carma's verification system gives drivers using the Dallas/Fort Worth Area (DFW) TEXpress Lanes a simple way to qualify for HOV toll discounts. Once they set up their account with Carma's smartphone app, GoCarma, a vehicle's HOV status is automatically verified at TEXpress Lane locations using Bluetooth to verify that at least two people are in the vehicle. Only vehicles with a verified HOV status receive an HOV toll discount.
Violating users receive a series of escalating warnings, and Carma's data indicates that 98% of users change their behavior before the 4th notification. Habitual violators get suspended from HOV discounts for 30 days, but can still use the managed lanes. To date, less than 1 of every 1,000 users has received a suspension, with violation rates less than 2%.
"Our automatic occupancy verification technology is just one example of how Carma is committed to finding novel solutions to some of the tolling industry's most entrenched challenges. Our goal is to make roadways as easy to operate as they are to drive on," said Lawrence Mulligan, CEO of Carma Technology Corporation. "We're honored to receive recognition from IBTTA for creating an innovative solution that will improve safety, reduce congestion and lower costs for drivers while giving toll operators a more reliable way to manage their HOV lanes."
IBTTA's annual Toll Excellence Awards highlights the most outstanding, unprecedented projects, innovations and solutions from the international tolling industry. For more information about the Toll Excellence Awards, visit here.
About Carma Technology Corporation
Carma is an industry leader in smartphone technology for high occupancy vehicle verification, GPS tolling, road user charging, and dynamic road pricing. For more than a decade, Carma has been a trusted partner of government agencies in incentivizing more efficient travel behavior, without traditional roadside infrastructure. Carma's patented technology has verified tens of millions of road transactions while saving commuters time and money on their commute. Carma's latest app, GoCarma, is used by more than 40,000 daily commuters to qualify for HOV toll discounts on Dallas-Forth Worth TEXpress Lanes during weekday peak periods. For more information, visit www.gocarma.com/media.
SOURCE Carma Technology Corporation
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